One Last Day
by fey of the forest
Summary: Based on one line from the christmas special. The Doctor muses. Oneshot.


**Just a Doctor Who one shot based on one line from this year's Christmas Special.**

**Apologies if something like this has already been done, but I felt that it needed to be written.**

**Hope you enjoy, and any mistakes are my own.**

**Please review**

**Fey of the forest x**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who**

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"Would you do it? Would you do this? Think about it Doctor. One last day with your beloved. Which day would you choose?" Kazran Sardick, the man on whom so many lives depended, asked him. Oh, if only he knew.

If he had the chance to spend one day with his loved one, one last day, he wouldn't care what day of the year it was. To just be with her would be enough.

Because, although the Doctor's beloved wasn't ill like Abigail, she was trapped in a parallel world where he could never see her. He had shut down the gap between the universes after dropping her and the other Doctor and Bad Wolf Bay, and he could not go back. The hole would not be reopened, no matter how much he wished it would. Because the moment he went back would be the moment that he risked the whole universe. And as much as he loved her, he couldn't have the deaths of so many on his conscience... Well, not any more.

But if he was in Kazran's shoes... If he had to make the same choice... Four thousand and three lives over just one... He would have chosen the four thousand. Because it would have meant just one last day together.

But, if he could have her for just one day, away from his other self, his human self, what would they do? Because twenty four hours was not a long time, especially for a Time Lord. A day on Earth passed by like a minute. It was just another grain of sand in life's wide desert. And even if he took her to another planet, the day would still pass too quickly.

That was the thing. Humans had a saying that time flies when you're having fun. How true it was. And he knew that he would have fun with his beloved, so that time would fly even more than usual. Which meant that it would pass like a blink of an eye.

And then, when that day was over, what then?

How hard would it be to say goodbye, knowing that he would not see her again for the rest of his life? As a human it would have been bad enough, but to be a Time Lord? To still have a few more regenerations left... To have to live them without her by his side... it would be more painful than his hearts would be able to bear.

But, just say he did have that one last day, and he could choose what day it was. What would they do?

Would he take her back in the TARDIS for one last adventure together? Or would he stay with her on her own world? Or would he take her back to the world that she grew up in? In fact, did they even need to stay on Earth? He knew of a fair few nice planets where nothing would go wrong... Or at least, it hardly ever went wrong... Or, well, Not that often... Well, when he said not that often, he meant, every few weeks... Which, knowing him, would probably be the day he chose to take her there...

Anyway, that was besides the point.

So, yeah, once he'd sorted the location, what would they do? After all, his face had changed since they'd last met, and he'd had more adventures. He had done so much more, and his personality had changed. Would she like that? Would she be able to see that the man she fell in love with was still underneath? Hidden away somewhere in the recesses of his mind? Or would she think him a stranger?

In truth, if she saw the new face, then what would she make of it? After all, he knew as well as anyone that he wasn't as handsome as he had been in his last regeneration. His hair was much more longer now, his chin far bigger... And he didn't look half as nice in a suit now as he had done then. And what would she make of his fashion sense? He'd already received enough digs from Amy about his bow tie and how he looked like her old geography teacher. Would the day get off to the wrong start, with him having to explain just who he was? Or would she spend the whole day being cautious around him? Because that would be almost as painful as not being able to see her again. In fact, if that was to be the case, then he would probably rather not see her at all than have the day spent with her being wary around him.

But, say that wasn't the case. Say she knew it was him somewhere inside, she already had her own Doctor. One who looked like his former self. One who would grow old at the same rate as her, and would live his life as a human. One that she had possibly, no, almost certainly, have married by now. One who she might have had children with. What would it do to them if he suddenly just showed up, demanding to spend the day with her? What consequences would it have?

No. It would be better to leave her where she was. She would be happy enough. And here he was, two companions to go having adventures with. There was always something about the look in their eyes when he showed them something new. A new planet, or a galaxy that no one had ever explored, or a star just forming... So many wonders out there, but after a while it became boring to see on your own. But to see them with someone who had never seen the likes of it before... Well, it was at least ten times better.

But, one last day with his beloved, with no consequences, no strings attached, just nothing but her and him... Well, the Doctor wouldn't object, unless he knew that at the end of that day, he knew that his beloved would die.

Now that... That was something he didn't want to think about.

It would break his hearts to know that he was taking her time. That every precious minute spent together was one of her last minutes of life. And if it was his choice for that one day, when she had spent so many days spent being kept from death, could he do it? Could he take that last day from her in order to save four thousand lives? When he knew that he would have his hearts broken at the end of it? Because, at least with her being in a parallel world where he couldn't see her, he knew she was alive, and there was always a chance that he could visit. With her dead, then there was no chance. Nothing. She would be dead, and that would be final. But what would be worse would be that he would watch her die. He would watch her life fade away, until she was gone from him forever. And was that cost too high for the many lives that she would save? Her life for four thousand and three? His Rose for everyone else?

Kazran Sardick's question rang in his ears as he stood there in the basement of the house. The silvery fish swimming in the fog, as if nothing important was going on, whilst somewhere in the sky above them a rocket was hurtling towards the planet, threatening to kill all of those on board, and an old man had a terrible decision to make. But the Doctor knew that he could not answer. Because he knew the dilemma. And he knew that he would not have been able to make the choice either.

But neither of them had to, for the pretty young blonde woman was stood before them, a smile on her face as she said just two words.

"Christmas day."


End file.
